An overwhelming responsibility.

Owning an ad agency is an incredible responsibility. Everyday, many small business owners look to us for results. Off the cuff, it may seem like a small job. Write an ad, produce it, place it. Write a news release, distribute it, follow up. Not to mention the research that goes into the clients target audience, the market research, the media research, the brainstorming, the big idea... you get the picture. A lot of behind the scenes stuff to make everything come together as it should.

Now, think about this. The employee of my client who just got married two years ago and is about to welcome their first child into the world. How does that affect me, the agency owner. He's not my employee. But, he is my clients employee. My job as an agency is to produce results for my client, to make them filthy rich and pass that wealth onto their employees in the form of a paycheck, health insurance, bonuses etc. If I fail in my job to produce results, my client suffers and the chain of impact runs down to his employees, their families etc.

That's not a light load to carry on a daily basis. My I encourage my fellow business owners to reflect on their decisions. Think about how it affects you, your family... your employees and their families, your clients and their families, your clients employees and their familes. One bad decisions can have an impact on many people you may not think about, and a good decision can be very rewarding.

So why the incoherent ramblings above? As I was meeting with a client yesterday he was sharing with me some good news. In the past year, he has gone from about 80 clients and two employees to over 600 clients and almost 10 employees. Granted, I can't and won't take credit for all of the hard work that my client has put into growing his business... but to know that I played a small role in something so significant that has impacted so many others in a good way, is a bit overwhelming.

This post may be a bit serious so tomorrow I promise some light hearted humour!